Vehicle Backup Safety Mapping Using 3D Model Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers face disorientation when reversing a vehicle due to limited rear-view camera field of view, which creates blind spots, especially in tight spaces, making it difficult to detect static objects like parked vehicles or barriers.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle backup safety mapping system that uses a rear-view camera, sensors (ultrasonic, RADAR, LiDAR), and wheel orientation data to generate a three-dimensional model of the space behind the vehicle, overlaying unseen areas onto the camera view on a display and providing proximity alerts through the infotainment system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a rear-view camera with a wide field of view (90 to 170 degrees) is used, then the driver can see vehicles at the edges of the car, but blind spots remain at the rear corner bumpers due to the vehicle's geometry and camera position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional camera view to a three-dimensional model representation. The system generates a 3D model of the area behind the vehicle that includes blind spots not visible in the traditional 2D camera view. This dimensional transformation allows the system to represent and display information about areas that the camera cannot directly capture, effectively eliminating blind spots by showing them in a different spatial representation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a 3D model as an intermediary between the camera data and the driver. Rather than directly displaying camera images alone, the system creates a 3D environmental model that integrates camera views with calculated blind spot areas. This intermediary model synthesizes information from multiple sources and presents a comprehensive view that includes both visible and invisible areas, acting as a mediator that combines partial information into complete situational awareness.
2Ease of operation
If the driver relies on the rear-view camera in tight parking spots requiring repeat turns and reversing, then the driver can navigate the space, but the driver becomes disoriented to the position of the car relative to other static objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the 3D model continuously updates and displays the vehicle's position relative to detected static objects like parked vehicles, barriers, and support columns. As the vehicle moves and reverses, the system provides real-time feedback about the changing spatial relationships between the vehicle and surrounding objects, maintaining the driver's spatial orientation throughout complex maneuvering sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection and mapping of the environment before the driver needs to make positioning decisions. By pre-identifying static objects and establishing their positions in the 3D model, the system prepares spatial reference information in advance, allowing the driver to understand the vehicle's position relative to these objects during reversing operations without needing to mentally reconstruct the environment from fragmented camera views.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances driver awareness by providing a comprehensive view of the vehicle's surroundings, reducing the risk of collisions by alerting the driver to hazards outside the camera's field of view and ensuring safer reversing maneuvers.
Implementation Method 1
The processor generates a three-dimensional model of space behind the vehicle based on images from the rear-view camera
Implementation Method 2
The overlay includes a cross-section of the model representing edges of surfaces within the model
Implementation Method 3
providing an alert via an infotainment system when (i) one of the surfaces in the model is identified as belonging to a hazard or (ii) when the vehicle comes within a threshold distance to one of the surfaces according to the model
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle backup safety mapping. An example vehicle includes a display, a rear-view camera, and a processor. The processor generates a three-dimensional model of space behind the vehicle based on images from the rear-view camera The processor also generates an overlay based on the three-dimensional model. The overlay includes representation of objects not in the field of view of the rear-view camera. Additionally, the processor displays, on the display, the images from the rear-view camera and the overlay.